In the primary visual cortex (V1), Simple and Complex receptive fields (RFs) are usually characterized on the basis of the linearity of the cell spiking response to stimuli of opposite contrast. ...Whether or not this classification reflects a functional dichotomy in the synaptic inputs to Simple and Complex cells is still an open issue. Here we combined intracellular membrane potential recordings in cat V1 with 2D dense noise stimulation to decompose the Simple-like and Complex-like components of the subthreshold RF into a parallel set of functionally distinct subunits. Results show that both Simple and Complex RFs exhibit a remarkable diversity of excitatory and inhibitory Complex-like contributions, which differ in orientation and spatial frequency selectivity from the linear RF, even in layer 4 and layer 6 Simple cells. We further show that the diversity of Complex-like contributions recovered at the subthreshold level is expressed in the cell spiking output. These results demonstrate that the Simple or Complex nature of V1 RFs does not rely on the diversity of Complex-like components received by the cell from its synaptic afferents but on the imbalance between the weights of the Simple-like and Complex-like synaptic contributions.
To uncover the functional topography of layer 6 neurons, optical imaging was combined with three-dimensional neuronal reconstruction. Apical dendrite morphology of 23 neurons revealed three distinct ...types. Type Aa possessed a short apical dendrite with many oblique branches, Type Ab was characterized by a short and less branched apical dendrite, whereas Type B had a long apical dendrite with tufts in layer 2. Each type had a similar number of boutons, yet their spatial distribution differed from each other in both radial and horizontal extent. Boutons of Type Aa and Ab were almost restricted to the column of the parent soma with a laminar preference to layer 4 and 5/6, respectively. Only Type B contributed to long horizontal connections (up to 1.5 mm) mostly in deep layers. For all types, bouton distribution on orientation map showed an almost equal occurrence at iso- (52.6 ± 18.8 %) and non-iso-orientation (oblique, 27.7 ± 14.9 % and cross-orientation 19.7 ± 10.9 %) sites. Spatial convergence of axons of nearby layer 6 spiny neurons depended on soma separation of the parent cells, but only weakly on orientation preference, contrary to orientation dependence of converging axons of layer 4 spiny cells. The results show that layer 6 connections have only a weak dependence on orientation preference compared with those of layers 2/3 (Buzás et al., J Comp Neurol 499:861–881,
2006
) and 4 (Karube and Kisvárday, Cereb Cortex 21:1443–1458,
2011
).
Reassessing Cold War Europe Autio-Sarasmo, Sari; Miklossy, Katalin
2011, 20101018, 2010, 2010-10-18, 20110101, Volume:
14
eBook
This book presents a comprehensive reassessment of Europe in the Cold War period, 1945-91. Contrary to popular belief, it shows that relations between East and West were based not only on ...confrontation and mutual distrust, but also on collaboration. The authors reveal that - despite opposing ideologies - there was in fact considerable interaction and exchange between different Eastern and Western actors (such states, enterprises, associations, organisations and individuals) irrespective of the Iron Curtain.
This book challenges both the traditional understanding of the East-West juxtaposition and the relevancy of the Iron Curtain. Covering the full period, and taking into account a range of spheres including trade, scientific-technical co-operation, and cultural and social exchanges, it reveals how smaller countries and smaller actors in Europe were able to forge and implement their agendas within their own blocs. The books suggests that given these lower-level actors engaged in mutually beneficial cooperation, often running counter to the ambitions of the bloc-leaders, the rules of Cold War interaction were not, in fact, exclusively dictated by the superpowers.
Notes on Contributors Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations List of tables Acknowledgments Introduction: The Cold War from a New Perspective - Sari Autio-Sarasmo and Katalin Miklóssy 1. The Soviet Union’s Acquisition of Western Technology after Stalin: Some Thoughts on People and Connections - Philip Hanson 2. Economic Interest in Soviet Post-War Policy on Finland - Tatiana Androsova 3. CoCom and Neutrality: Western Export Control Policies, Finland and the Cold War, 1949–1958 - Niklas Jensen-Eriksen 4. Knowledge through the Iron Curtain - Soviet Scientific-Technical Cooperation with Finland and West Germany - Sari Autio-Sarasmo 5. Learning from the French: The Modernisation of Soviet Winemaking, 1956-1961 - Jeremy Smith 6. Soft Contacts through the Iron Curtain - Riikka Nisonen-Trnka 7. Internal Transfer of Cybernetics and Informality in the Soviet Union: The Case of Lithuania - Eglė Rindzevičiūtė 8. New Advantages of Old Kinship Ties. Finnish–Hungarian Interactions in the 1970s - Katalin Miklóssy 9. Soviet Women, Cultural Exchange and the Women’s International Democratic Federation - Melanie Ilic 10. Overcoming Cold War Boundaries at the World Youth Festivals - Pia Koivunen 11. Room to Manoeuvre? National Interests and Coalition-Building in the CMEA, 1969–1974 - Suvi Kansikas Bibliography Index
Sari Autio-Sarasmo is a Senior Researcher at the Aleksanteri Institute (Finnish Centre of Russian and Eastern European Studies), University of Helsinki and Adjunct Professor at the University of Tampere, Finland.
Katalin Miklóssy is a Researcher at the Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki and Adjunct Professor at the University of Helsinki, Finland.
Necrotizing fasciitis is a fulminant infection of the deeper layers of skin and subcutaneous tissues characterized by progressive soft tissue necrosis and high mortality. It rarely occurs in the head ...and neck area. The clinical picture includes non-specific but typical local and systemic symptoms. The treatment is a complex, multidisciplinary task which includes radical surgical exploration, debridement and drainage, empirically started and then targeted intravenous antibiotics and supportive therapy. Authors report a case of necrotizing fasciitis localized on the right side of the face which caused multi-organ failure and phlegmone of the neck.
Svrha ove studije bila je izradba genetskih modela ležišta "sitnijega" mjerila usporedbom informacija na manjoj i srednjoj skali, a dobivenih analizama jezgara i dijagrama karotaže. Ispitano plinsko ...polje nalazi se u istočnom dijelu Panonskoga bazenskoga sustava. Za numeričko rješenje korištene su statističke metode s jednom i više varijabli (univarijantne i multivarijantne) kako bi se opisale jedno- i višedimenzionalne sličnosti. Na kraju, multivarijantni identifikacijski model sažeo je informacije dobivene u različitim mjerilima. Uočena je korelacija između fizičkih svojstava stijene i oblika karotažnih dijagrama. Šupljikavost i propusnost ne ovise o obliku pojedinačnih karotažnih dijagrama već o najkarakterističnijim oblicima karotažnih dijagrama stijene koja je promatrana kroz odnosne elektro-facijese. Također, oscilacije dimenzija "ulaza šupljina" (tj. prostora na dodiru dvaju zrna, a koja povezuju veće susjedne šupljine) uzrokuju male promjene na karotažnom dijagramu. Predstavljeni model može se smatrati alatom za klasifikaciju novih informacija u skladu s utvrđenom "genetičkom" hijerarhijom (stijena).
AIM： To determine the effect of melatonin pre- and post-treatment on the severity of L-arginine （L-Arg） -induced experimental pancreatitis in rats. METHODS： Male Wistar rats （25） were divided into ...five groups. Those in group A received two injections of 3.2 g/kg body weight L-Arg i.p. at an interval of 1 h. In group MA, the rats were treated with 50 mg/kg body weight melatonin i.p. 30 min prior to L-Arg administration. In group AM, the rats received the same dose of melatonin 1 h after L-Arg was given. In group M, a single dose of melatonin was administered as described previously. In group C the control animals received physiological saline injections i.p. All rats were exsanguinated 24 h after the second L-Arg injection. RESULTS： L-Arg administration caused severe necrotizing pancreatitis confirmed by the significant elevations in the serum amylase level, the pancreatic weight/body weight ratio （pw/bw）, the pancreatic IL-6 content and the myeloperoxidase activity, relative to the control values. Elevation of the serum amylase level was significantly reduced in rats given melatonin following L-Arg compared to rats injected with L-Arg only. The activities of the pancreatic antioxidant enzymes （Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase （CulZn-SOD） and catalase （CAT）） were significantly increased 24 h after pancreatitis induction. Melatonin given in advance of L-Arg significantly reduced the pancreatic CAT activity relative to that in the rats treated with L-Arg alone. In the liver, L-Arg significantly increased the lipid peroxidation level, and the glutathione peroxidase and Cu/Zn-SOD activities, whereas the Mn-SOD activity was reduced as compared to the control rats. Melatonin pre-treatment prevented these changes. CONCLUSION： Melatonin is an antioxidant that is able to counteract some of the L-Arg-induced changes during acute pancreatitis, and may therefore be helpful in the supportive therapy of patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis.
We conducted a multicentre hospital‐based test‐negative case–control study to measure vaccine effectiveness (VE) against PCR‐confirmed influenza in adult patients with severe acute respiratory ...infection (SARI) during the 2022/2023 influenza season in Europe. Among 5547 SARI patients ≥18 years, 2963 (53%) were vaccinated against influenza. Overall VE against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was 11% (95% CI: −23–36); 20% (95% CI: −4–39) against A(H3N2) and 56% (95% CI: 22–75) against B. During the 2022/2023 season, while VE against hospitalisation with influenza B was >55%, it was ≤20% for influenza A subtypes. While influenza vaccination should be a priority for future seasons, improved vaccines against influenza are needed.
Aging contributes to cellular stress and neurodegeneration. Our understanding is limited regarding the tissue-restricted mechanisms providing protection in postmitotic cells throughout life. Here, we ...show that spinal cord motoneurons exhibit a high abundance of asymmetric dimethyl arginines (ADMAs) and the presence of this posttranslational modification provides protection against environmental stress. We identify protein arginine methyltransferase 8 (PRMT8) as a tissue-restricted enzyme responsible for proper ADMA level in postmitotic neurons. Male PRMT8 knock-out mice display decreased muscle strength with aging due to premature destabilization of neuromuscular junctions. Mechanistically, inhibition of methyltransferase activity or loss of PRMT8 results in accumulation of unrepaired DNA double-stranded breaks and decrease in the cAMP response-element-binding protein 1 (CREB1) level. As a consequence, the expression of CREB1-mediated prosurvival and regeneration-associated immediate early genes is dysregulated in aging PRMT8 knock-out mice. The uncovered role of PRMT8 represents a novel mechanism of stress tolerance in long-lived postmitotic neurons and identifies PRMT8 as a tissue-specific therapeutic target in the prevention of motoneuron degeneration.
Although most of the cells in our body have a very short lifespan, postmitotic neurons must survive for many decades. Longevity of a cell within the organism depends on its ability to properly regulate signaling pathways that counteract perturbations, such as DNA damage, oxidative stress, or protein misfolding. Here, we provide evidence that tissue-specific regulators of stress tolerance exist in postmitotic neurons. Specifically, we identify protein arginine methyltransferase 8 (PRMT8) as a cell-type-restricted arginine methyltransferase in spinal cord motoneurons (MNs). PRMT8-dependent arginine methylation is required for neuroprotection against age-related increased of cellular stress. Tissue-restricted expression and the enzymatic activity of PRMT8 make it an attractive target for drug development to delay the onset of neurodegenerative disorders.
Based on a prior university patent, the authors developed a novel type of bioimpedance-based test method to noninvasively detect nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The development of a new ...potential NAFLD diagnostic procedure may help to understand the underlying mechanisms between NAFLD and severe liver diseases with a painless and easy-to-use paraclinical examination method, including the additional function to detect even the earlier stages of liver disease. The aim of this study is to present new results and the experiences gathered in relation to NAFLD progress during animal model and human clinical trials.
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